The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1887-11-30
GOING TO BE" AGAIN.
The SqueIcher SOU quelched--Farmer Wren and
Farmer Vance.

Editor of the River Press:
And now Mr.. Gibson rushes into the
arena and helps out the Tribune by letter
with the classic headlines Completely
Squelched" and "Put up or Shut Up" To
my question, what is the ranchman's
name within twenty miles Of Great Falls
who has established home and produced
paying crops on the bench lands" He
says: II answer, A. J. Vance, at 28Mile
house, eighteen miles from Great Falls)
who raised for three consecutive years
oats averaging from 80 to Is bushel to the
acre" And then he says that W. 2. Wren,
the driest season known in ten years,
raised on the bench lands four miles from
town, 80 to 40 bushels Of oats to the acre.
Those Of us who have repeatedly passed
by and taken meals at the 28-Mile house
are anxious to know where Farmer Vance's
fields Of waving and thrifty grain were To-
Gated Probably he had in some secluded
spot little patch that with liberal allow
ance for measure yielded at the rate Of so
bushels to the acre. But Farmer Vance
has left the lucrative business of keeping
a stopping place; he has left the bonanza
he had in his grain ranch, he has folded
up his tent and am told has joined the
other city farmers that have congre-
gated at Great Falls. And so with Far
mer Wren. After proving up on a piece
of land, with the only object in view, of
course, of getting it under cultivation, he
leaves it to run to waste and weeds and
joins the farmer band at the Falls. Far
mer Wren and Farmer Vance are content
to live in town and let others reap the
rich rewards found in bench land farming.
Mr.. Gibson then quotes Newton Shepherd,
"a farmer of great experience" who has
repeatedly said that he believed crops
would grow without irrigation on our
bench lands. Mr.. Shepherd is my nearest
neighbor. No man has worked harder to
produce crops in Montana. He has always
staid closely to the bottom lands He has
worked hard and paid out his hard earned
money until finally he has gotten all of
the land he works under ditch. He has
Quit taking chances Let his acts speak
for him.
Mr.. Gibson will find fitting answer to
his whole argument IN the next column of
the Tribune to the one containing his letter.
There is an advertisement which reads;
''F'or sale-Eight hundred acres of good
farming or hay land within half days
easy drive Of Great Falls. Covered by q
large irrigatimg ditch of sufficient capac-
5ty to irrigate the entire tract thorough
H." Mr. Gibson's answer is no answer at
all. His farmers have left their ranches
and gain livelihood in the city of Great
Falls Farmers with lrrlgatng bitches
have not left their ranches and gone to
live at the Falls, as have Farmer Wren
and Farmer Vance.
The editor of the Tribune "ably" sup
ports Mr.. Gibson's letter. He has recent
ly been examining the land Office maps,
and he holds up his hands in holy horror.
"In every portion Of the plats were to be
seen desert filings. x They are
simply held for speculative purposes to
the exclusion and detriment of those who
would become actual settlers" Who
made those filings; who were the specula-
tors? Great Falls men. Why have they
changed their tactics? Because they have
accomplished their end and now would
shut off all others from getting share in
the spoils Why was Editor Collins i'm
ported from Benton post haste? It was
to get upon one Of those desert claims
when the time was nearly out that it
could be held. He was put on pre-emp-
ton claim and has become an "actual set
tier" and now helps hold land that has
been held under this iniquitious desert
claim act Of course, Editor Collins is no
land grabber. He is no speculator. In
the spring he will become Farmer Col
Inns. After the position he has taken he
could never dream of anything so abomi
nable as holding lands for Speculative
purposes" The press parts with you,
Jerry, with sorrow, but no true friend
could advise you to stay with the gang
when you have $50 acres upon which you
can grow "marvelous crops year after
year without irrigation"
AS to the "put up or shut up" business,
I am perfectly willing to go Mr.. Gibson
from slOO to $500 on the propo-
sition he makes in his letter. I am not
given to games Of chance as are the Great
Falls people, and I do not consider this
gambling it is the surest thing I have
struck in Montana. | should be only too
glad to loose-for as / have said before
nothing would help me out financially
quicker than the proof that paying crops
could be grown on these bench lands
without irrigation.
And now as to personal illusions. The
editor of the Wool Grower did not start